Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream Nintendo Direct Announced For Today, 29th January

Sounds interesting, I'll definitely watch it live and join the NL live chat, assuming that I have the time 😀!

This Direct will answer the biggest question: When is the game coming out?

Saw this on the Nintendo Today App. Maybe Nintendo is clearing the way for a massive "General" Direct in the near future. Also, I hope it looks a little bit nicer on NS2 because I plan on playing it there and why not...

NINTENDO WHAT ARE YOU DOING SLOW DOWN I'M STILL ON YOSHI HIGH FROM THE MARIO GALAXY MOVIE DIRECT

Actually no keep them coming I love steam rolling Nintendo, GIVE ME MORE

ahem, I'm looking forward to this game, wonder what they'll have to show.

My second most anticipated game of 2026 behind Splatoon Raiders. I’ve been tired of all the vague Spring 2026 release windows. I like how Nintendo is gearing up early this year!

No, this still doesn’t change my hope for a normal Direct. There could still be a big Switch-2-focused Direct in February. That’s when I would expect Yoshi and Splatoon to reappear along with more new games.

The notification for this got me good.

I thought there was a fall blown direct this Thursday. Imagine my disappointment to open the notification to see its for one game that I do not care about.

Great for the people that are looking forward to this though.

Was there not a letter in the mailbox about this this week?

This is the kind of game I'd rather go in blind for, but I do want to know when it is coming out (April?) and I do want to know whether it has a Switch 2 edition or a Switch 2 free update (Like Galaxy/Galaxy 2) or neither

A direct specifically for this game..?

OMG.
That screenshot, Giant Mii head.
Well, I hope the Theater will return so I can make my Mii characters singing in "Indonesian" language again.

No traditional Nintendo direct. Booooooooooooo

@OmnitronVariant
Yes, exactly.

I’ve never played the original, but I’ve been vaguely intrigued for a while and my kiddos are even keen to learn more. I’ll be tuning in!
I imagine I’ll have to buy multiple copies of this weird game.

The first Tomodachi Life that released outside of Japan got revealed in its own surprise Nintendo Direct. It notably had Reggie, Iwata and Bill Trinen all fighting for the love of Samus Aran.

See now THIS is a Direct worth watching.

Also, it's worth mentioning that Tomodachi on 3DS sold 6.72 million units. It's commercially successful enough for the sequel to warrant its own dedicated Direct imo.

Oh I thought we were getting directs for actual games

@Misima
This Tomodachi Life game is my dream in this year 2026.

It'll be interesting when this releases, I was thinking May to spread the 3 life sims evenly (New Horizons in January, Pokopia in March, Tomodachi Life in May) but this Direct makes me think April.

In any case, I'm more confident next week is a Partner Showcase as a result of this.

For all that questioning about if there was going to be a Direct or not for Tomodachi Life, there was Direct for the 3DS game back in 2014. So it's not that unprecedented to have one for the Switch game.

Now, if they'll make a Direct for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book or Rhythm Heaven Groove is up in the air. I'm sure Splatoon Raiders will get one, though.

I would like to see six pack skins from MiiTomo returned on this Tomodachi Life.
In Miitopia, we got more hairstyle.
I hope we will get more body shape and fashion customization like The Sims.

Meh. I'm not interested in this game. I'm waiting for a general Direct to be announced.

I've been waiting for this to release - not because I actually want it (although I definitely enjoyed the 3DS game), but because I want to see how well it does. This has the potential to blow up like Animal Crossing New Horizons did imo, even on the dated Switch 1.

@rvcolem1
This is actual game for Switch 1.

Yes!!! I've been waiting for this! I know I'm like the one Tomodachi Life super fan in the world, but I'm still super hyped anyway!

The fact that they're pushing this with a Direct probably means they don't have a lot of big games up their sleeves for the near future.

The next release slot is Late April - May, assuming that Fire Emblem leak was incorrect.

Not interested in this game but I guess many can't wait for it

Probably coming soon then. Likely April. I REALLY want this game to be good!

What’s it going to take to get a plain Direct or Indie Direct with a bunch of upcoming games?

Wow! Such a system seller for Nintendo's powrful new hardware. This is such a poor first party launch for a system Nintendo. You are going to need to give people sonething more to Justify the high cost of Switch 2

Nintendo better have big stuff to announce in February/March and release this year because everything they have announced so far is complete garbage (I don't care about Pokemon)

This has got to be the most densely-packed January ever in terms of gaming news.

Does that concern me for the prospect of getting a February Direct? Honestly, not really. Nintendo gonna Nintendo.

There have been multiple times in the past we thought a Direct wasn't coming because we had a string of announcements prior. There have also been periods when Nintendo announced nothing and we thought a Direct was inevitable, only for nothing to happen.

I think one is for sure still coming. We're still in the launch year of their newest system, and I'm sure Nintendo is aware of the negativity concerning their first-party lineup.

Ok… but… why though? 🤔

YAY!! I'M SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS ANNOUNCMENT!! :3

reduces the chances of a general direct anytime soon... the first half of this year is going to be very boring...

what... its been since september since the last regular direct. why not just put the new info in a trailer for a new full blown direct.

@Sonicka
Because not everyone have interest with AAA games.
This quirky smaller game have their own charm for people like me and other gamers outside.
There is the audience for this quirky game.

@Anti-Matter if this is nintendos big spring game then it will be a boring spring for a lot of people.

Switch 2 edition announcement please!

@rvcolem1
I mean I don't care big or small.
This quirky game will selling to the right audiences.
One of the audience is me.
Nintendo will get the money from me from this game.
Not everyone have interest with bigger AAA games.

@rvcolem1 The big Spring game is definitely Pokopia, there won't be a switch game that sells more than that this year

@rvcolem1 I agree. This is not the game for me too

makes no sense to have a direct for one game later this week when the rumored full nintendo direct is in feb.

Nintendo surely is banalizing their Direct brand.

the rumored full nintendo direct is in feb.

The "rumored" full Direct do not exist. It is just a rumor.

Everyone complaining about this clearly does not know how this kind of thing works. This same thing has happened before where we have a Direct a week or two after a Direct centered around one game.

@johnedwin
But it is what it is.
Tomodachi Life Living in Dream Direct 3 more days.

@Anti-Matter well I have interest in AAA games. This game NOT for me.

@FlamingBird
But I prefer quirky games like Tomodachi Life.

@FlamingBird hear hear. I'm expecting something else. I could care less for this uninteresting game.

@GoproGO The 3DS Tomodachi Life game was huge, sold 6.72 million copies. The only 3DS games that outsold it were:

• Mainline Pokemon games (X/Y, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, Sun/Moon, Ultra Sun/Moon)
• 2D Mario (NSMB2)
• 3D Mario (3D Land)
• Smash
• Animal Crossing (New Leaf)
• Mario Kart (MK7)
• Yokai Watch 2

I think Tomodachi Life is Nintendo's biggest release for the first half of this year.

@PlatinumTour because why would you put 20 minutes of info in a Direct when there are other games they want to put a spotlight on during the presentation as well?

Can't wait! I loved Tomodachi Life on 3DS and this is lowkey one of my most anticipated games of 2026!

@CupidStunt It is a Switch 1 game. No word on a special S2 edition, as far as I know.

The 3DS game wasn't my cup of tea unless I was watching someone else play it, like Vinesauce Vinny. I really hope a proper Nintendo Direct announcement isn't too far off, because I'm more interested in games like Splatoon Raiders and possibly Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, and I'm very curious to see what else Nintendo has planned for this year, especially because the Switch 2 doesn't seem to have the strong momentum that it's predecessor had during its first year.

@TrueBlueYoshi me too. Hopefully Nintendo will announce a general direct soon so they will have other games that can wow others.🙏

The people here saying the Switch 2 is being poorly supported at launch... I wonder if they just became conscious during the Switch era and knew nothing of how previous consoles launched lol. This has been a great console launch, not peak, but firmly in the top half.

@MamaSymphonia Agreed. For me, every first-party release from Nintendo, excluding Drag x Drive and Welcome Tour, were so much fun and were such a good start to the console’s life. I don’t know if 2026 can really top it honestly.

@KayFiOS
Watch my creativity from Tomodachi Life 3DS .
I made my Mii characters singing in my language Indonesian.
https://youtube.com/shorts/qEJFLTaYhmg?si=6FXMLYEP0ObSGA_C

My goodness... Everything gets their own Nintendo Direct these days, except Metroid Prime 4... Insane.

@Anti-Matter you’ve basically made my point even more clear.

FYI, not against a focused direct, but it seems very bizarre to me that Nintendo are pushing a focused Direct on a quirky title that has a niche audience. (Does this mean Rhythm Heaven will gets its own direct etc…)

More importantly, despite the consensus on the product now… why did Metroid Prime 4 not get a direct and instead just an overview trailer. The logic doesn’t brain.

@HammerGalladeBro I'm thinking it must be soon, if we're getting a Direct right now. Within the next couple months, at most, I'd wager.

PSA: You don't need to comment that you're not interested in this game. We don't need your negativity. Just scroll and move on. Or actually try it instead of being so close-minded.

@Sonicka as pointed out by @grumblevulcano, it was the 6th best selling 3ds game, so i think it is more than niche... I understand this more than the double whammy for kirby airriders (but I like full directs more too..

and the 3ds game was lovely btw..

This game will really showcase the graphical power of what Switch 2 can is really be capable of. 🤣

fun fact! this is literally the only game worth $80 but nintendo doesnt want to charge that much cause theyre scared of earning too much money

i half joke. idk where all this TL slander came from this game rocked on 3ds

@Dman10 Yep this game and Pokotopia will spoil us

@Sonicka you'd be surprised how popular tomidachi actually is, namely in japan. y'all just ain't silly enough for games like this

also terabytes already made the comment i was gonna make for me. it's fine if you don't care but i don't need people like the blue yoshi who keep a conversation up just to keep talking about how much they don't care.

@TerribleTerabytes exactly my point. People are coming just to say they don’t care about this game and that sort of attitude baffles me.

@Sonicka
Remember, niche games still have their audiences.
One game that looks uninteresting by one people, it's a treasure for other people.
Niche doesn't always mean bad, it just being completely different.
I played Tomodachi Life 3DS and both Miitopia games (3DS & Switch) because the game have quirkiness that match with my creativity sense, that's why I'm the big supporter of The Sims games, ACNH, Mii games.

@TerribleTerabytes Thank you. Glad someone said it. Really is weird that people even bother to comment in the first place for something they don't care about.

@johnedwin Keep an eye out for the 11th or 12th.

@Grumblevolcano you think it's going to outsell Pokemon meets Minecraft? Ok...

They just doing directs for any ol thing now lol

@GoproGO Yeah, I think so as well. Especially since the “Minecraft meets Pokémon” in question is Key-Card slop lol.

they NEED to finally confirm if the miis are all british or not. its the only reason i never played the 3ds game until i removed the systems region lock to play the north american version years after release. ive been trying so hard not to get excited for this game because of this, but god i want to play it so bad. even if they just have both british and american accents on all english-language versions of the game, that would probably be enough to not alienate people, and certainly enough for me to be able to play

@Kiz3000 Don’t worry, it seems like the full blown direct will likely be mid February. Nintendo usually clears out a few things before they do one. They have pushed out two overview trailers, a Mario movie “direct”, and now this new direct since the game likely would take up much too much time in the regular one. There’s also a lot of leaks that hint at a pretty large direct next month anyways. I’m looking forward to that.

@MamaSymphonia It's mostly a loud minority, if you ask me. I think if you look back at the Switch 2 after its first year, people will hopefully see what a great year it has been and how bright the future looks for even better years!

@Kiz3000 exactly the same here. All I read was the “living the dream” and “Nintendo direct” parts and thought this was a proper direct. Oh well… 🥲

@drykho I think the case is more that why focus on one game coming in the spring that is a life sim that many people arent interested in (and some are), when a direct with more games feels inclusive of more people's tastes. I didnt like the single game only direct for air riders either.

@OLD64FOREVER me too, can you stream it? 🤣

The original Tomodachi Life Direct from 2014 with Bill Trinen is still one of the best videos on YouTube. I’m beyond hyped for Episode II.

@rvcolem1 Honestly, you do have a point, but it all comes down to a marketing perspective. It depends on what they think deserves its own Direct. Personally, I don’t mind it, but if there were one of these every month I would definitely understand the frustration more.

@sunspotty
I'm also curious to see if Nintendo will give exclusive contents based on region game like the Japanese version of Tomodachi Life 3DS had Enka song for singing in Theater, but English version got Romantic Ballad song.

@OLD64FOREVER Adults saying this stuff btw 🫩

@drykho That's true if 1/3 of a standard direct was just 1 game it would be kinda weird. I meant condense this direct into like 2 or 3 min trailer. (although for the record i'm not a fan of single game directs)

@Anti-Matter I have plenty of indie games. I just finished a pinball metroidvania, dont assume to know my tastes of games because this particular game isnt what I want. I just want a direct that has more than one game, indie game cool, AAA games cool, farming/life sims cool. Show us more games

@PlatinumTour I am really indifferent on it, I just like seeing what Nintendo’s cooking up, but I do understand where you’re coming from completely 😊

@drykho let's be honest I dont actually care, but hope this game is on a game key card hahahahahhahahahaha

@rvcolem1 Sorry, I’m confused, what? Lol

@rvcolem1
Never underestimate the audience of Life Sim games.
There are TONS of Life Sim games audiences out there like The Sims games, ACNH, Mii games, etc.
They had way better creativity than me.
I have my own creativity and that's why I can enjoy the games which I can put my creativity on it.
It's like designing my own stuffs.
I am one of the audience of Life Sim games.

@Kiz3000 I bet we'll see a general Direct sometime in February. That's normally when they do these things. I'm sure they'll want to announce some more proper system sellers soon

@CupidStunt it’s a Switch game not a Switch 2 game. Read it properly. This game is primarily geared towards those who are on the Switch.

@StarCollector Nate the Hate is saying February 5th is the day for a general Direct, so watch the calendar.

Kinda ridiculous how many grown adults are whining about this and saying that Tomodachi Life isn't a real game just because it's not their thing.

Get over it. We'll get a standard Direct this year, probably next month. You don't have to belittle franchises and their fans just because you didn't get exactly what you want.

@HotGoomba Exactly what I’m thinking. Kind of shows how selfish people are that they’ll go out of their way to clown on a game because it isn’t a big AAA game like they want it to be.

There are a lot of questions about this games that I want to know.
1. Will we get pre-made room with fixed furnitures like 3DS version or we can decorate Mii room freely like The Sims?
2. How will this game rated in the country with anti LGBTQ policy like Russia when Miitopia got rated 18+ for having quirky intimacy that considered as gay relationship in Russia?
3. How many Mii can occupy the houses?
4. Will the same gender marriage available?
5. Will we have more choice for choosing our gender like non binary?
6. What other feature will be introduced on Switch version after the Street Pass feature from 3DS version?
7. Will the game have touch screen support for handheld mode?
8. Will the game have Amiibo functionality?
9. Does it require payment for upgrade to Switch 2 version?
10. How to get money in this Switch version?

@Anti-Matter I would honestly love being able to have an option to decorate houses but still also having a way to use the already-made homes.

I also find it kinda funny to think about amiibo support, like they would announce some random Miis as amiibo figures lol.

@squiddu-real @Anti-Matter that’s fine - and honestly speaking I don’t have anything against a Direct that has an audience. I don’t know enough about Tomodatchi Life to comment on its quality.

There are definitely Directs I’ve watched where I’m pretty certain others couldn’t care less about anyway, one man main genre is another mans trash.

In any case, my query is not “I don’t care about this” and more “why this game in particular, Nintendo?” - especially when some of their bigger franchises needed pushing before release (eg - Metroid Prime 4).

Curious to see how this evovles the title. I played the 3DS one for 15 hours, but kind of had my fill. Not that I didn't get my money's worth, just that I'm not sure I expect to get much out of the sequel. Guess we'll see!

If this game was directed by Sakurai, it would've had three Directs by now.

Also, if this game can get its own Direct, I'm demanding one for Rhythm Heaven.

I can't wait for this game!

Oh yippee another Direct I'll miss as dont care about this game. Give us SOMETHING to look forward to

I am buying no matter what, unless it just reviews terribly.. I loved it on 3ds. That said, I hope that it progresses from the 3ds version and it’s not just more of the same. I hope it has customization of the island and some cool mini games….

i feel like the reason this game is getting it's own direct is probably because it's a switch 1 game and they want main directs to be focused on the switch 2. of course, i have no idea for sure, but that just makes sense to me. also most main nintendo directs in the winter are in February, not January.

@KayFiOS i still laugh out loud to this day thinking about the stream where groose and karl try to interrupt two confessions back to back and fail both times

tomodachi life was worth it for that alone

this will probably be the last switch game that I purchase at full price

I hope the new Rhythm Heaven gets its own direct too!

All these people complaining about how niche and uninteresting Tomodachi Life is, and meanwhile it easily outsell Rhythm Heaven... Which is the actual best series Nintendo has ever made.

I'm skipping this one. Not only is the timing lousy for me as usual, but this isn't a game I'm interested in. I hope those who are interested get some great mileage out of this Direct though.

They really really really need a General Direct in February, hype for this system is non existent. HOWEVER I am super curious about this, and glad we're getting more info this week, so I ain't personally mad or anything lol

better than a movie direct

I think a lot more people would be interested in this if they'd completely reinvent the Mii characters from the ground up. They're artefacts from a time when they couldn't afford to put much detail in online avatars and it's just plain ugly.

I'll give Nintendo credit, they did a good job marketing the 3DS game in the West and its success followed suit. Glad to see they're continuing with Living the Dream.

A game getting its own Direct matters. They didn't do one for Metroid Prime 4, in contrast.

It may not be a general Nintendo direct but it’s the next best thing. Now here’s hoping it follows in the footsteps of the previous games direct where it uses a newscast format to announce the new features of this game.

People need to be reminded that Tomodachi Life was one of the 3DS’s best sellers. There’s quite a few things to do in Tomodachi Life and Living the Dream is hopefully a bit more ambitious than the 3DS game, so there’s enough to talk about to justify it’s own Direct. And this allows a big Direct to spend more time showing other games.

Wow they really give us everything BUT what we are waiting for 🥴 Tomodachi Life? Tamagochi Wife? Sakaguchi Knife? Multiplayer Wonder? More Amiibo? Movie Trailer 2?

(I am just joking and impatient for the next proper Direct, just like everyone else)

Cool, might be an early Spring release!

Am I the only that wouldn't be surprised if N dropped a " ... And oh look, there's a Nintendo Switch 2 edition too, with x, y, z exclusive features" in this TL Direct?

I know they announced it as a Switch 1 game, but c'mon ...

Is this the direct that got rumoured earlier today?

@PinderSchloss Technically they usually do these kinds of Directs when they actually do have stuff up their sleeve and don’t want room taken up in the main ones. Plus I’m told Tomodachi is like a successful cult classic so they are leaning into it I’m guessing.

Can't wait to hear more details on the game! soon
Edit: not tomorrow, my bad!

@Sonicka People have repeatedly pointed out that the last entry sold over 6 million copies, How is that "niche"? Is Animal Crossing niche because it too is "quirky"?

You mention Metroid and I'm a huge Metroid fan, but we have to be realistic; a Metroid game has never sniffed the sale of what the last game in this series sold. Metroid just isn't the "bigger franchise" that you and I want it to be.

YYYEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Sonicka i will continue to parade around - no, mp4 did not need more advertising, they already had pretty standard coverage for a nintendo game. plus, metroid games usually live and die on the mystery of it all, what would they show off in a direct?

So excited. I've been hyped for this game since Miitopia. I loved all the crazy stuff from the first game.

@Sonicka as of October 2025, the Tomodachi Life franchise has sold about 14 million or more copies.

Metroid Prime with 1-3 and Hunters has sold about 6.5 copies lifetime, which is from 2002 to today. Metroid Dread did 3 million.

Tomodachi Life came out in 2014 for 3DS, it completely eclipsed those Metroid Prime titles. If we add the almost 2 million for Miitopia, plus the over 10 million users of Mitomo, it’s clear why Tomodachi Life would get its own Direct.

It doesn’t track for you and I because we don’t play it. Bigger picture, Tomodachi Life has sold more than Metroid.

Can't...

Damn...

WAIT!!

Nintendo Switch 2 is fantastic gaming system. Loving so much on it. Poor Xbox and poor Sony I love PS5 and Xbox Series X but those systems doesn't enough exclusive games for their currently generation. Switch and Switch 2 is king of gaming!! Well done to Nintendo for big fights back after Wii U issued with sold numbers. I m glad Nintendo stick to traditional continue after Switch 1 to Switch 2 now. That good that why both selling like hotcakes!!

@progx now this…is the kind of constructive answer I can appreciate, thanks! 🙂

I’m very happy to be wrong on a subject which is why I wondered why this game had a specific direct in comparison to other titles (Metroid was admittedly just a generalised example I was using… however the metrics are interesting now it’s spelt out in constrast).

I also didn’t realise this was the third game in the series (I guess due to the DS game being Japan exclusive). I knew of the 3DS title and Miitopia only previously. But if it’s that big of a thing, even after a couple of titles, then fair enough.

@Sonicka you had me thinking about it too. So, I went to try and understand it. Again, I’ve never played it, but not every game is going to be meant for me to play. I don’t like Fortnite, but I don’t even register as a pebble on that beach.

@progx In fairness, I probably should have done the same research rather that post “but… why?” rather obtusely in the first place.

It wasn’t meant as an attack on the title or its fans, I was just genuinely curious why this particular game would get a specific focus from Nintendo.

I knew of Tomodatchi from articles, and directs, but outside my own circles my awareness this sort of Nintendo product to me seemed much in the same scope of the “Rhythm Heaven” franchise. And by that I mean to say the games are awesome, but oft irrelevant to a wider audience and so therefore never seem to get discussed in a broader sense very often.

In any case - if it’s big in Japan and has some serious sales going on elsewhere, then fair play.

Interesting the NSO game vouchers last chance to buy is 30th January.

@Sonicka
It's not about Why this kind of game get highlight.
I will ask the same question for Kirby air ride too why that gimmicky racing game got its own Direct.
It's probably a lot of gamers here played the games in the same common genre such as platformer, shooter, soccer, etc.
But when the other genre like Life Sim, Rhythm, etc got highlight, some of the gamers complained because their games in their genre didn't get highlight and looking at those minor games as annoying stuffs.
It's same also from other gamers who looking at common genre games as uninteresting stuffs.

@PinderSchloss there is an enhanced mii editor for certain games now.

Oh boy, the 2014 Direct for the 3DS game turned out to be so iconic, this looks to be very fitting

Fantastic! Can't wait for it!

@PinderSchloss
does make me curious if theyve added customization similar to Miitopia since that had a lot of options that could even go outside the general "mii" aesthetic.

@Mgalens It definitely got a little better, that's true. But it still tries to keep the same style. They shouldn't be afraid of a complete overhaul. There's so many ways to make these characters more appealing on modern hardware.
Maybe I'm just picky but it's been a reason for me not to play these games.

They even look a bit creepy to me. These forced expressions are unsettling 😅

@Sonicka It's absolutely not niche. The announcement of this game on Twitter gathered the most "like" out of any tweet Nintendo ever made, or something like this.

@Oldstalk the more you learn, the more you know. Genuinely had no idea how popular Tomodachi is, and I thought it was just one of those cult status Mii branded titles that people enjoy. Obviously I have a much better idea now.

Honestly - when I saw the game even announced last year I immediately wondered what audience this was even supposed to be for considering how outdated Mii’s are (and I say that with absolute love for Mii’s and what they represent) considering they are a Wii era phenomenon that impressively clung on for dear life to each successor generation.

@Anti-Matter Oh it’s absolutely about the why - or it wouldn’t be questioned (and not just by myself). I have a broader and much better idea now though.

But yes, Kirby Air Riders absolutely felt like it didn’t need two 1 hour directs either… but it got it because it was Sakurai. Some people just have the leverage to bargain for real advertisement estate to promote their games, especially if they feel they are worth pushing so they aren’t lost in the release backlog.

Such an exciting year to be a Nintendo fan! Lots of AAA promise hiding just over the horizon, plenty of quirky or niche AA games getting proper love, a big new movie, a great new console receiving proper third party support, and a huge new Pokemon generation about to be revealed.

Really excited for this game. The one on 3DS was such a blast! I am worried we might not be getting a "proper" Nintendo Direct any more, though...